Hollow Eyes
by TheStrangeAndBeautiful
Summary: House / Cameron. ‘I should have called the police the first time you showed up on my door step; lip bleeding and crying.’ Warning: References to domestic violence and rape.
1. Hollow Eyes

_House / Cameron._  
_References to domestic violence and rape...  
Please review - no flames.  
_

* * *

**Hollow Eyes**

He groaned at the knocking on his door and frowned once he'd pulled it open. It hadn't been two weeks since her last visit… never before had it been so often an occurrence. He let her drift past him and watched her sit stiffly on his couch before closing the door. In the light he could see the bruise; a red and blackening flower smudged around her eye and down her cheek.

'Anywhere else?' He growled standing over her. She refused to look up at him, instead empty eyes boring into his blank TV screen. She was past embarrassment. Like the first couple of times she turned up at his in the middle of the night... Past anger and retaliation… Like the time she'd decided was the last. She was even past distress and tears… Like the time after... And the time after that. Now she was still and void of emotion. He was disturbed by this… her almost haunting acceptance… as though she had resigned herself to her depression… to the son of a bitch that caused it. 'This has been going on for a year too long…' He suddenly erupted with anger. Anger at her for every lie she told… '_this is the last time_.'… and anger at himself for believing her lies… '_everybody lies'_.

'No House.' Now she stood up quickly and he saw her wince in pain.

'It's been two weeks Cameron… soon you'll be coming every day … and that's if you don't wind up dead first.' She shook her head.

'It's not like that… he's not like that.'

'Stop it!' He screamed. She jumped violently and his eyes filled with hurt for her… 'Show me where else.' He ordered softly but powerfully. She bit her lip and obliged, slowly pulling up her shirt to show bruised and swollen ribs. He gently felt her smooth and tainted skin with his rough hands… they were broken. 'And…' He prompted, needing but not wanting to know where else.

'I can't.' She shook her head away from his piercing blue eyes.

'Cameron…' His voice threatened with concern.

'I can't House.' And she met his eyes, hers trying to convey something. 'I _can't_.' As the dark realisation sunk in and she watched it clouding over his expression, she stepped back, shaking and moved over to the bookcase. She knew where he kept the bottle of whiskey and had it in her hand moments later. A crash and she span round. The table next to where House stood was clear; it's previous spread strewn across the floor.

'It's ok House.' She said quietly, hurriedly.

'No Cameron, it's not ok.' His voice was low and menacing and she knew he was trying to keep himself under control for her sake. He gripped his cane and moved heavily across the room. She stood feeling the aches and soreness spreading over her body, wondering why she was there… why she had let House find out the whole story. What was going to happen next.

As he snatched up the phone, panic gripped her.

'No House!' She exclaimed running across to him. He barred her passage to him and the phone with his cane and she watched in horror as he dialled 911.

'I'd like to report a rape.' He said bitterly, his gaze stinging Cameron's own pleading eyes into closing with pain.

'No.' She whispered more to herself than him. He turned away from her.

'Along with domestic violence.' He told the name and address of Cameron and 'Partner's' apartment and explained why a Doctor would not be necessary. He replaced the receiver, satisfied and turned to face a trembling Cameron.

'You were supposed to keep it secret… I thought I could trust you… you said…'

'You thought you could trust me to remain in denial as long as you.' He cut in angrily. 'I should have called the police the first time you showed up on my door step lip bleeding and crying.' His self-hatred was evident. 'This is my fault.'

But Cameron was in her own world of fear.

'He's going to kill me.' She breathed in an empty voice, the pain down locked behind her hollow eyes. She turned, still clutching the bottle of whiskey and moved through House's apartment to the bathroom.

The click of the lock snapped him into action.

'Cameron…' He said hurriedly moving to stand out side the room, resting on his cane. 'Relax Cameron… he's not going to get near you again… how can he when he's behind bars.' He listened for a sound but there was silence. He rolled his eyes to control his concern and lifted his cane to bang on the door.

'Open the door.'

Cameron hardly heard the annoyingly relentless 'tap' 'tap' 'tap' on the door. She was staring at her reflection. She would have to testify, to have a rape kit for evidence. Have friends and family finding out. Have Chase and Foreman realise what had been going on. Or she could lie… but either way she would have to face _him_.

She couldn't bring herself to be angry with him… he was sick she told herself… he needed her… it wasn't his fault… but all along the fear had been holding her close… And now it had almost stopped her breathing. Hearing House say 'rape' had made the reality so much sharper and images of it now flashed into her mind. How could she have let it come this far?

* * *

'Cameron, open this damn door!' He'd been pacing around the room waiting… hoping she was just taking a moment to calm down... but 10 minutes after and he was scared. A crash later and he was through the door, the lock hanging off and his cane clattering to the ground. He bent awkwardly to pick it up, at the same time glancing at the room.

He first saw the empty bottle and then the side of her pale face and strewn dark hair. The ugly bruise hugging a closed eye. The stillness of her fragile body, curled up on the cold white tiles. The bottles of pills open and empty; a few colourful mocking tablets scattered by his feet.

_Thanks for reading... please comment._


	2. Sickly Sweet

* * *

As he got closer, he saw the vomit crusting on her lips and smelt the acid and the sickly sweetness of too many drugs, scotch and fear. Her neck was cold yet clammy as he felt for a pulse. He checked her airway and rolled her onto her side. He grabbed onto the sink for support and began rummaging in his medicine cabinet; supplies clattering angrily into the sink. He pulled at his cell and made the necessary call whilst remembering to breath and to focus on the task at hand. He tried to blur out Cameron's face so that she became any other patient. He checked her stats again.  
'Cameron!' He barked, pulling her into a sitting position, shaking her and telling himself that he needed to do something _now_ and hoping it would be the right thing. Damnit. Why couldn't he think clearly? He brushed her face with his rough hand and her eyelids attempted to flutter open weakly.  
'Wake up!' He ordered. 'Drink this.' He was already prising her mouth open. 'Ipecac.' He told her, just encase she protested. She gulped the liquid down in between groans as she grabbed her stomach; pain from the pills excruciating. She flopped against him, eyes closing and he shook her again.  
'Come on!' He growled and pulled her over so that her head was hanging forwards. He got her to open her eyes just before the gagging and retching started. He felt relief as she began to throw up a mess of foam, powder and acid along with a few un-dissolved coloured capsules. He checked her vitals yet again and cursed the ambulance. She gave in a final time; just before it arrived.

* * *

**Please review!**


End file.
